When Leaders Preach Prosperity Without the Cross

One of the most recognizable signs of deception in the modern church is the rise of messages that promise prosperity, blessing, and financial increase while neglecting or avoiding the message of the cross. The cross is the foundation of the Christian faith. It represents repentance, surrender, sacrifice, and transformation. When it is removed, the message may become attractive and motivational, but it is no longer the Gospel.

Jesus never promised a life of worldly prosperity. Instead He warned His followers that following Him would cost them. He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Denying oneself is the opposite of self centered Christianity. Taking up the cross implies dying to sin, not living for earthly gain. Yet many sermons today focus on personal dreams, financial advancement, and self fulfillment while the cross remains absent.

The apostles did not preach prosperity as the primary goal of the believer. They preached Christ crucified. Paul declared, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul understood that the cross was not merely a symbol but the center of the faith. Through the cross sin is forgiven, hearts are transformed, and eternal life is granted. The prosperity message cannot replace this truth.

Scripture also warns that some would view godliness as a means of financial gain. Paul wrote, “Supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself” (1 Timothy 6:5). In other words, those who treat spiritual life as a pathway to earthly wealth reveal distorted motives. Paul continued by reminding believers that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). True prosperity is spiritual, not material.

Prosperity in the Bible is not inherently evil. God blesses, provides, and opens doors. The issue is not provision but priority. When leaders preach prosperity without the cross, they create believers who pursue benefits rather than repentance. This leads to shallow Christianity, where people follow God for what He gives rather than for who He is.

Jesus confronted this mindset after feeding thousands. The crowds pursued Him for more miracles and provision. He responded by saying, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life” (John 6:27). Jesus redirected their focus from temporary blessing to eternal truth.

A Gospel that does not include the cross cannot produce holiness. It cannot produce obedience. It cannot produce disciples. It produces consumers, not followers. It produces churchgoers, not witnesses. It produces fans of Jesus, not servants of Jesus.

The prosperity without the cross message also harms believers during hardship. When trials come, sickness strikes, or finances fail, believers raised on prosperity preaching feel abandoned or deceived. Yet Scripture prepares us for suffering. Peter wrote, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you” (1 Peter 4:12). Trials are not a sign of weak faith. They are part of the Christian journey.

The cross is not only the place where Jesus died. It is the place where the believer dies to the world. Paul testified, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). This is the true Gospel. Christ at the center, the cross at the foundation, transformation as the result.

A preacher who removes the cross removes the cost of following Jesus. A preacher who removes the cross removes the power of salvation. The prosperity without the cross message may build crowds, but only the cross builds disciples. The church must return to preaching Christ crucified if it desires genuine revival, holiness, and transformation.